Favorites:

Monday, March 29, 2010

Glyphosate (Roundup) Re:Evaluation Plan PMRA and EPA

The Canadian Government is Re Evaluating Glyphosate along with the USA EPA, a joint effort. The Re Evaluation is to be completed by 2014.

The work plan discussed below outlines the anticipated risk assessment and data needs. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is re-evaluatingglyphosate as part of its registration review program, and has published a final registration review work plan.1 The PMRA will be working cooperatively with the USEPA on the re-evaluation of glyphosate. The overall Canadian re-evaluation timelines will be closely aligned with those of the USEPA. Currently, the assessment is targeted for completion in 2014

On 25 May 2009, a member of the public requested that a special review be initiated, under Section 17 of the Pest Control Product Act, for glyphosate herbicides containing the formulant polyethoxylated tallowamine (POEA) on the grounds that they represent unacceptable risks to human health and the environment. Twelve documents were provided as justification for the request.

The PMRA's response to this request based on health concerns

The PMRA reviewed the submitted documents and recognizes that the overall conclusion reported by these health studies is that the POEA formulants present in certain glyphosate formulations make the product more toxic than glyphosate alone. However, it is important to note that all the studies were performed in vitro using cell cultures in a solution containing a glyphosate formulation; such an exposure scenario is not representative of what occurs with in vivo exposure of living organisms to glyphosate and POEA. Although information from in vitro studies is considered in the overall assessment of a product, in vivo studies by various routes (oral, dermal or inhalation) are more representative of the hazard potential. The PMRA assessments such as those that were conducted for glyphosate products containing POEA are based primarily on in vivo studies.

In addition, the PMRA concluded that the data presented in a submitted epidemiology study do not provide strong evidence of an important relationship between glyphosate exposure and spontaneous abortions due to unvalidated self-reported exposure information and lack of control for potentially important confounding factors such as maternal age.

Therefore, the PMRA did not find new evidence in this material to support a special review of health effects.

If you have read some of my previous blogs you will see that Health Canada is very serious about the safety of its Product Registration and Processes. If they [Health Canada] had a genuine health and or environmental concern, this product would not be on the market.